[Cytochemical indices in initial manifestations of anthracosilicosis]. / Tsitokhimicheskie pokazateli pri nachal'nykh proiavleniiakh antrakosilikoza.

57 coal miners aged 40-58 years were examined in three groups. Group 1 included 12 practically healthy miners who no contact with industrial dusts. Group 2 consisted of 15 healthy miners (index O) and Group 3-30 miners affected with anthracosilicosis (index 0-1). The phagocytic activities of the alveolar neutrophils and macrophages were studied along with that of the peripheral blood neutrophils. Cytochemical techniques were applied to study the content of general protein, phospholipids, glycogen and the acid phosphatase activity. In Group 2, cellular reactions were marked by a relative content growth of neutrophils and macrophages, and viable cells, against a statistically reliable increase of acid phosphatase activity and phospholipids' content, with concomitant decrease in content of general protein and glycogen. The studies helped to reveal the latent forms of anthracosilicosis at early stages, when morphologic changes could not be traced with ordinary X-ray techniques.